If you want to write the opposite article, pick any three wildly successful companies. They've all grown enough that they've had to move into a new building. Pick a project that went well around the time of the move; they're big enough that there must be at least one. Now, attribute causation and come up with some pithy bullet points. Ta-da! You've got yourself a wsj article.
You also haven't contradicted Blank. He didn't say companies shouldn't ever transition out of their startup phase; he just said that the purchase of an optimal new building signals that transition. The implication is that you should be sure you're ready for it.
Lessons Learned
- New buildings are a distraction.
- You should avoid them at all costs
- Building upgrades can destroy a culture
It doesn't mean it will always happen. But I'd wager those company's who successfully moved into a new building spent considerable time focused on having it not happen to them.
When experienced managers and leaders start trying to manage beyond their competence it's more often a result of arrogance rather than ignorance.